Begin Japanology

Forests have covered Japan since ancient times, and today they make up about 70% of the country's land area. Forests have long been vital to the Japanese way of life. Even the center of Tokyo has a large and famous man-made forest! It was created almost 100 years ago, meticulously designed and planted to keep itself going just like a natural forest. For centuries in Japan, cutting down trees has led to environmental degradation and even natural disaster. But the Japanese have always responded with passionate efforts to save and revive their forests. On this edition of BEGIN Japanology, our theme is woods and forests. By exploring the long relationship between the Japanese and their forests, and their efforts to protect them, we'll discover how the Japanese think about nature.